Lemon Lust Tart

When the days grow longer (because we can't seem to make up our minds about Spring) and the air is heavy with the dampness of rain, budding trees and teasing us daily with blushes of color as the ground wakens, I long lust for something light, fresh and French. What could be better than a tart au citron? Nothing, sil vous plait. This recipe will have you reaching for your flip flops and a bikini beach towel. The dough is completely unorthodox but simple because you don't even use a rolling pin.  It bakes into the flakiest, butteriest dough you have ever tasted.  The lemon curd filling is tart and uses very little sugar. If there are fresh strawberries to top it off, all the better.

Don't wait another minute. GO MAKE THIS! You will feel like a lemon tree just exploded in your mouth...in a really, good way.

LEMON LUST TART (adapted from David Lebovitz' Tarte au Citron)

Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

For one 9" tart shell
3 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 TBSP vegetable oil
3 TBSP water
1/8 tsp salt
1 slightly rounded cup all purpose flour

Put everything but flour in a medium-sized oven-proof bowl (I told you this was unconventional cooking), place in oven for 15 minutes until butter is bubbly and browning at the edges.
Be very careful and with oven mitts remove bowl from oven and again being careful, dump flour into bowl, stir quickly until ball forms and it pulls away from sides of bowl.

Put dough in tart pan and lightly spread in bottom of pan with spatula (see, you don't even have to roll this out--how easy is that?). When cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes), pat into pan with heel of your hand and with your fingers, smoosh into sides of tart pan.

Prick the dough with a fork all over then bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
Turn off oven to cool down to 350 degrees if preparing filling below.  Let dough cool before filling.

Lemon Curd Filling
350 degree oven

1/2 c freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
grated zest of one lemon (about 1 TBSP)
1/2 c sugar
6 TBSP butter, cut into bits
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

In medium-sized saucepan, heat everything except eggs. Beat eggs in small bowl. When butter mixture has melted, whisk a small portion of it into the eggs, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed eggs back into the butter/lemon mixture and over low heat, stir until it thickens and just begins to bubble around the edges.

 






 
Pour the lemon curd through a strainer pushing through with rubber spatula into the cooled tart shell. Smooth the top, put into oven for 5 minutes to set filling. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

This dessert is full of Spring.


Bon printemps!